Suchergebnisse

This report is a summary of the webinar panel discussion on the National Disability Strategy held on 24 September 2020. Th event was organised by the Australian Human Rights Commission and the NHMRC Centre of Research Excellence in Disability and Health, and hosted by The Social Deck via Zoom webinar. There were three panels and the report summarises the key discussions from each panel as follows: Panel One: A reflection on the last National Disability Strategy Panel Two: What is needed under the National Disability Strategy? Panel Three : Issues for the new National Disability Strategy --- The Australian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is an independent statutory organisation, established by an act of Federal Parliament. The AHRC protects and promotes human rights in Australia and internationally – it investigates complaints about discrimination and human rights breaches, conciliates discrimination complaints, holds public inquiries, and develops education resources for schools and workplaces. The AHRC also provides legal advice to courts, makes submissions to parliaments and governments, and initiates research into human rights and discrimination issues. https://humanrights.gov.au/ The Centre of Research Excellence in Disability and Health (CRE-DH) is a world-first research initiative that aims to build knowledge and gather the evidence needed to guide social and health policy reform for people with disability in Australia. The CRE-DH also aims to identify cost-effective policies that improve the health of people with disability in Australia. The CRE-DH is funded by the National Health and Medical Research Council. https://credh.org.au/ The Social Deck is a for-purpose business specialising in strategic communications, stakeholder and community engagement, digital strategy, social marketing campaigns and evaluation. The Social Deck helps organisations to reach and engage people in actions that have a positive impact on society and the environment. https://www.thesocialdeck.com.au/ The report was written by Dr Nicola Fortune from the Centre of Research Excellence in Disability and Health and finalised by 2 December 2020. https://credh.org.au/reports-and-submissions/

Australia is a federation of six states and two territories (the States). These eight governmental entities share responsibility for health and health services with the Australian Government. Mortality statistics, including causes of death, have been collected since the late 19th century, with national data produced by the (now) Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) from 1907. Each State introduced hospital in-patient statistics, assisted by State offices of the ABS. Beginning in the 1970s, the ABS conducts regular health surveys, including specific collections on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Overall, Australia now has a comprehensive array of health statistics, published regularly without political or commercial interference. Privacy and confidentiality are guaranteed by legislation. Data linkage has grown and become widespread. However, there are gaps, as papers in this issue demonstrate. Most notably, data on primary care patients and encounters reveal stark gaps. This paper accompanies a range of papers from expert authors across the health statistics spectrum in Australia. It is hoped that the collection of papers will inform interested readers and stand as a comprehensive review of the strengths and weaknesses of Australian health statistics in the early 2020s.

This submission is made by Dr Nicola Fortune and Associate Professor Hannah Badland on behalf of investigators within the Centre of Research Excellence in Disability and Health (CRE-DH) funded by the National Health and Medical Research Council. Summary of CRE-DH recommendations The CRE-DH welcomes the planned reform process to strengthen Australia's human rights legislative structure. In the context of this reform process, we recommend that: · a monitoring and reporting framework, supported by appropriate data, should form an integral part of Australia's human rights legislative structure, and should be used to support effective accountability mechanisms; · legislation should articulate the obligations of governments, organisations, and all Australians in relation to respecting, protecting and fulfilling the human rights of people with disability; · legislation should require proactive measures be taken to fulfil human rights for people with disability and reduce current inequities; · there should be a requirement to consider the human rights of people with disability in the context of developing or reviewing laws, policies and practices across all government portfolios and at all levels of government; · legislation should recognise the diversity of the population with disability, including the multiple identities individuals hold (e.g., Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, LGBTI+, cultural and linguistic background) that influence their experience of human rights in Australia. · legislation should not be limited to the human rights of Australian citizens with disability, but encompass the human rights of all people with disability, including refugees and those who come to Australia or seek to visit or migrate to Australia. · all aspects of the discrimination complaints process should be made accessible, and accommodations should be provided to assist people with disability in making complaints and accessing justice through the court system. · reform of the human rights legislative structure, including development of a monitoring and reporting framework as part of this, should be informed by broad consultation with people with disability and their representative organisations. Further information https://credh.org.au/reports-and-submissions/

The Australian Government is currently developing a ten-year National Disability Employment Strategy - a key element to address the National Disability Strategy commitment to increase employment and economic inclusion for people with disability. In April, the Department of Social Services released a consultation paper seeking feedback on its priority areas. Researchers from the CRE-DH made a submission on the draft National Disability Employment Strategy to the Department of Social Services on 17 May 2021. A summary of the submission follows: The feedback is prioritised based on the following: the proposed vision of the National Disability Employment Strategy (NDES); the barriers experienced by people with disability that are missing from the consultation or require greater emphasis in terms of how they will be addressed within the NDES; and monitoring and evaluation of the NDES. The focus of the submission is across three areas: The National Disability Employment Strategy should be positioned as a whole-of-government responsibility. Improving employment outcomes for people with disability requires policies and programs that address the vocational, non-vocational and structural barriers to secure and meaningful employment that are too often encountered by people with disability across the life course. While the National Disability Employment Strategy (NDES) is being driven through the Department of Social Services (DSS), implementation requires commitment to strong action, clear targets and accountability across all Australian and state and territory government departments and relevant agencies to address multi-faceted barriers to work. We need to improve the evidence base on what interventions work and for whom, and under what circumstances these interventions work. An accurate understanding of the availability and effectiveness of the plethora of employment policies and programs implemented across federal, state and territory jurisdictions, is currently missing from the draft NDES. Also missing is a clear understanding of how different employment policies and programs could better interact and collaborate with other systems (e.g., mental health, housing) to more effectively address inequalities and barriers to employment experienced by people with disability. The NDES must commit to address these gaps in understanding, and to enhancing the evidence base about which policies, programs and interventions are most efficient and effective in supporting the diverse cohort of people with disability wanting to find work and remain employed. Ongoing monitoring, evaluation and reporting of outcomes achieved through the NDES is vital for continual improvement Monitoring the NDES implementation and outcomes is essential. This requires monitoring employment outcomes and also barriers and facilitators to the career development and employment for people with disability across the life course, and accessing employment. The CRE-DH has developed an extensive research program around disability and employment. Please refer to the website for more information, reports and submissions on this area of work. Further information https://www.credh.org.au

This submission is made by Dr Nicola Fortune and Associate Professor Hannah Badland on behalf of investigators within the Centre of Research Excellence in Disability and Health (CRE-DH) funded by the National Health and Medical Research Council. Summary of CRE-DH recommendations The CRE-DH welcomes the planned reform process to strengthen Australia's human rights legislative structure. In the context of this reform process, we recommend that: · a monitoring and reporting framework, supported by appropriate data, should form an integral part of Australia's human rights legislative structure, and should be used to support effective accountability mechanisms; · legislation should articulate the obligations of governments, organisations, and all Australians in relation to respecting, protecting and fulfilling the human rights of people with disability; · legislation should require proactive measures be taken to fulfil human rights for people with disability and reduce current inequities; · there should be a requirement to consider the human rights of people with disability in the context of developing or reviewing laws, policies and practices across all government portfolios and at all levels of government; · legislation should recognise the diversity of the population with disability, including the multiple identities individuals hold (e.g., Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, LGBTI+, cultural and linguistic background) that influence their experience of human rights in Australia. · legislation should not be limited to the human rights of Australian citizens with disability, but encompass the human rights of all people with disability, including refugees and those who come to Australia or seek to visit or migrate to Australia. · all aspects of the discrimination complaints process should be made accessible, and accommodations should be provided to assist people with disability in making complaints and accessing justice through the court system. · reform of the human rights legislative structure, including development of a monitoring and reporting framework as part of this, should be informed by broad consultation with people with disability and their representative organisations. Further information https://credh.org.au/reports-and-submissions/

AbstractTo examine geographic variation in labour force participation rate (LFPR) of working‐age people with disability in Australia and associated factors. This study uses Australian Census 2016 data at Statistical Area Level 2 (SA2) and engages multiple linear regression to explore the relationship between the dependent variable,= LFPR of people with disability, and diverse independent variables that reflect collective characteristics of people with disability and their non‐disabled peers within SA2. While LFPRs for people with disability varied greatly by SA2, people with disability had considerably lower LFPR than their non‐disabled peers in all areas. The LFPRs tended to be higher in SA2s with higher percentages of people with disability who had completed year 12 or gained post‐school education, with higher household income, and where a higher proportion of people with disability mainly spoke English at home. These results indicate that where people live matters. Geographic variation in LFPR for people with disability is associated with geographic variation in their educational attainment and other social and community characteristics of the areas in which they live. This study contributes towards gaining a more sophisticated and nuanced understanding of the factors that influence LFPR of people with disability in relation to their local community environment.

The Disability and Wellbeing Monitoring Framework Technical Report documents the development of a comprehensive Monitoring Framework and Indicators to measure and track inequalities between people with and without disability in relation to exposure to well-established social determinants of health and wellbeing. It was developed by researchers at the Centre of Research Excellence in Disability and Health (CRE-DH), with input from the Partner Advisory Group and an Expert Panel of Advice comprising people with lived experience of disability, to ensure that the Monitoring Framework and Indicators comprehensively capture the health, social, economic and wellbeing issues that are important and meaningful to people with disability. Two complementary suites of indicators have been developed to sit within the structure of the Monitoring Framework: Person indicators These will be used to report national baseline data on exposure to social determinants of health and wellbeing for people with and without disability, and to track change over time, including changes in absolute and relative inequalities. Area indicators These will be used to explore socio-spatial patterning of social determinants of health and wellbeing, and investigate the contribution of area-level variables in the relationship between disability, health and the social determinants of health and wellbeing. Key next steps for this work include reporting national data for the person indicators and area indicators. Analyses using the indicator data will be conducted to identify possible intervention points to address socially-produced inequalities between people with and without disability. The CRE-DH also aims to work with governments and statutory agencies responsible for data collection and reporting to address data gaps and limitations that have been identified through this work. It is anticipated that the Monitoring Framework will be embraced by a diversity of stakeholders in the disability sector and beyond as a valuable tool to inform public discussion and effective policy responses. We will continue to actively engage with stakeholders, including people with disability and their representative organisations, to further develop and disseminate this work. Further detail is provided in the Appendices. www.credh.org.au

This submission to the Disability Royal Commission in response to its Employment Issues paper, is made by Associate Professor Jennifer Smith-Merry and Research Fellow Alexandra Devine on behalf of investigators within the Centre of Research Excellence in Disability and Health (CRE-DH) funded by the National Health and Medical Research Council. The submission is further supported with contributions from colleagues external to the CRE-DH including Marie Huska and Stefanie Dimov (Disability and Health Unit, Centre for Health Equity, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, The University of Melbourne), and, Dr Sue Olney (Melbourne Disability Institute, The University of Melbourne) . Introduction Australia's current and future labour market poses serious challenges for all job seekers, yet challenges are far greater for job seekers with disability who already experience significant labour market exclusion. Policy and programmatic responses must ensure job seekers with disability have equitable opportunities and appropriately resourced support to participate in the labour market on an equal basis with job seekers without disability. This should include both individual-level personalised support and macro-level labour market reform, reform of disability employment services and job creation programs. In line with its obligations under Article 27 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, Australia must safeguard and protect the rights of people with disability to equal opportunities for work and safe and healthy working conditions, and ensure they are protected from harm in the labour market on an equal basis with others. This responsibility should be actively supported by legislation and appropriate mechanisms and channels for reporting and collecting data on discrimination, violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation in the labour market on the basis of disability This submission was made on 14 August 2020. Further information https://credh.org.au/

The Australian Government is currently developing a ten-year National Disability Employment Strategy - a key element to address the National Disability Strategy commitment to increase employment and economic inclusion for people with disability. In April, the Department of Social Services released a consultation paper seeking feedback on its priority areas. Researchers from the CRE-DH made a submission on the draft National Disability Employment Strategy to the Department of Social Services on 17 May 2021. A summary of the submission follows: The feedback is prioritised based on the following: the proposed vision of the National Disability Employment Strategy (NDES); the barriers experienced by people with disability that are missing from the consultation or require greater emphasis in terms of how they will be addressed within the NDES; and monitoring and evaluation of the NDES. The focus of the submission is across three areas: The National Disability Employment Strategy should be positioned as a whole-of-government responsibility. Improving employment outcomes for people with disability requires policies and programs that address the vocational, non-vocational and structural barriers to secure and meaningful employment that are too often encountered by people with disability across the life course. While the National Disability Employment Strategy (NDES) is being driven through the Department of Social Services (DSS), implementation requires commitment to strong action, clear targets and accountability across all Australian and state and territory government departments and relevant agencies to address multi-faceted barriers to work. We need to improve the evidence base on what interventions work and for whom, and under what circumstances these interventions work. An accurate understanding of the availability and effectiveness of the plethora of employment policies and programs implemented across federal, state and territory jurisdictions, is currently missing from the draft NDES. Also missing is a clear understanding of how different employment policies and programs could better interact and collaborate with other systems (e.g., mental health, housing) to more effectively address inequalities and barriers to employment experienced by people with disability. The NDES must commit to address these gaps in understanding, and to enhancing the evidence base about which policies, programs and interventions are most efficient and effective in supporting the diverse cohort of people with disability wanting to find work and remain employed. Ongoing monitoring, evaluation and reporting of outcomes achieved through the NDES is vital for continual improvement Monitoring the NDES implementation and outcomes is essential. This requires monitoring employment outcomes and also barriers and facilitators to the career development and employment for people with disability across the life course, and accessing employment. The CRE-DH has developed an extensive research program around disability and employment. Please refer to the website for more information, reports and submissions on this area of work. Further information https://www.credh.org.au

This is a submission to the Australian Government Department of Social Services (DSS) on the draft National Disability Strategy (NDS) outcomes framework, and is made on behalf of investigators from the Centre of Research Excellence in Disability and Health (CRE-DH). Monitoring implementation of and outcomes related to the National Disability Strategy (NDS) is essential for ensuring that the Strategy is effective in improving the lives of people with disability and achieving a fair and inclusive society in which people with disability can fulfil their potential as equal citizens. We welcome the opportunity to have input into the development of the NDS outcomes framework. Our comments set out in this submission are based on the materials provided to participants at the 'Researcher Roundtable - National Disability Strategy beyond 2020' on 3 December 2020. In providing our comments, we draw on our collective knowledge and research expertise in relation to health and wellbeing inequalities experienced by people with disability, and particularly on our recent experience with: - Developing the Disability and Wellbeing Monitoring Framework and Indicators, with input from people with lived experience of disability; and - Organising and contributing to, in partnership with the Australian Human Rights Commission, a Zoom webinar as part of consultations for the next National Disability Strategy. Australia has previously lacked a comprehensive approach for monitoring and reporting on social, economic and health outcomes for people with disability in comparison with non-disabled people. Research published by CRE-DH in 2017 revealed that, across many aspects of life, inequities between working-age Australians with and without disability persisted, and in some areas worsened, over the period 2001 to 2016. Monitoring, using reliable sources of data, is crucial to highlight inequalities that must be addressed and to identify levers for more effective policy action. The CRE-DH developed the Disability and Wellbeing Monitoring Framework, in consultation with people with lived experience of disability, to measure and track inequalities between people with and without disability in relation to exposure to social determinants of health and wellbeing. The Disability and Wellbeing Monitoring Framework has a hierarchical structure, with 19 domains grouped into three broad elements (Health and wellbeing, Social determinants, and Service system), within which 128 indicators are specified. It is possible to report nearly three-quarters of these indicators using existing Australian national data sources. For the remainder, national data are not currently available, highlighting important data gaps and the need for data development efforts. The CRE-DH is currently preparing to report national baseline data comparing people with and without disability, for all indicators where such comparison is applicable. In Section 1 , we provide specific comments on each NDS outcomes framework domain and list relevant indicators from the Disability and Wellbeing Monitoring Framework. Where appropriate, we suggest measures that may be considered for reporting as 'headline indicators'. In Section 2 , we provide input concerning the following key issues and overarching considerations relating to the outcomes framework and its use over the life of the NDS: - Co-design with people with disability, facilitated by inclusive processes, is essential in all aspects of the outcomes framework, including development, review and reporting. - Indicators must relate explicitly to Articles of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disability (CRPD). The outcomes framework must provide a comprehensive basis for monitoring outcomes for people with disability compared with outcomes for people without disability in order to track inequalities. A commitment to regular public reporting is necessary for transparency and accountability. The outcomes framework has a crucial role to play in improving national data relevant to people with disability, and should be developed and used with this in mind. All measures must be fit-for purpose and should inform more effective policy and practice; therefore, the rationale for each measure must be clear. https://credh.org.au/reports-and-submissions/

This submission to the Disability Royal Commission in response to its Employment Issues paper, is made by Associate Professor Jennifer Smith-Merry and Research Fellow Alexandra Devine on behalf of investigators within the Centre of Research Excellence in Disability and Health (CRE-DH) funded by the National Health and Medical Research Council. The submission is further supported with contributions from colleagues external to the CRE-DH including Marie Huska and Stefanie Dimov (Disability and Health Unit, Centre for Health Equity, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, The University of Melbourne), and, Dr Sue Olney (Melbourne Disability Institute, The University of Melbourne) . Introduction Australia's current and future labour market poses serious challenges for all job seekers, yet challenges are far greater for job seekers with disability who already experience significant labour market exclusion. Policy and programmatic responses must ensure job seekers with disability have equitable opportunities and appropriately resourced support to participate in the labour market on an equal basis with job seekers without disability. This should include both individual-level personalised support and macro-level labour market reform, reform of disability employment services and job creation programs. In line with its obligations under Article 27 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, Australia must safeguard and protect the rights of people with disability to equal opportunities for work and safe and healthy working conditions, and ensure they are protected from harm in the labour market on an equal basis with others. This responsibility should be actively supported by legislation and appropriate mechanisms and channels for reporting and collecting data on discrimination, violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation in the labour market on the basis of disability This submission was made on 14 August 2020. Further information https://credh.org.au/